Experience Marine Wildlife Snorkeling Off the Galapagos Coast

July 16, 2012

When visiting the Galapagos Islands, you will see interesting creatures from blue-footed boobies and Galapagos iguanas to giant tortoises and a slew of endemic finches. Touring the islands will allow you to see many birds and other animals, but swimming with some of the colorful fish and other aquatic creatures is a surefire way to make your Galapagos Islands cruise memorable.

Snorkeling is one of the best ways to really experience the underwater marvels that lie just off the coast of the Galapagos Islands, and you'll be swimming with colorful species of fish as well as sea lions and maybe even a whale shark. Nearly 20 percent of all the marine life in the area is endemic, so this is the only place you'll be able to see these creatures in the wild.

There are hundreds of species of fish swimming along the coast that make the snorkeling experience a vibrant and unforgettable part of your cruise. You may see schools of Burrito grunt fish, which are almost the same color as the water around them, save their neon yellow fins. Of course, Galapagos is also home to the northern-most existing colony of penguins, so you should keep a lookout for the aquatic birds as you swim along the coast.

You may also encounter a variety of other creatures swimming in the waters, including the graceful green sea turtle. This animal can be found in oceans around the world and is commonly spotted swilling along the shores of the Galapagos. The Galapagos iguanas that helped Charles Darwin develop his theory of evolution are unique in that they spend time on land but also swim in coastal waters. Snorkeling is a great way to see these reptiles putting their aquatic skills to use.

There are also many pelagic, or deep sea, marine animals that come near the Galapagos coastline, including hammerhead sharks, Manta rays and more. It is practically impossible to list every single creature you'll see in the waters around the archipelago but snorkeling will allow you see them all firsthand. If you bring along an underwater-capable camera, you may be able to capture some truly unforgettable underwater moments.